Darkness Within
by locainlove
Summary: There are many fanfics about Inuyasha losing control of his demon blood. But what if it wasn't his demon half that he was losing control over, but something else? Something no matter what he did he couldn't fight? Heh. He could never fight Darkness...
1. The Dark Prophecy

**A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!!! HOPE YOU EAT A LOT OF CANDY! MUAHAHA! **

**I was thinking of this story when I was listening to the song, Lies by Evanescence the other day. Besides, no one can disagree that most of the things happen to Kagome in the series. Gotta give Inuyasha some credit too, the show is named after him! So Inuyasha, this is all about you! **

**Disclaimer: I DONT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A HUT AND MADAME KYOKO UNFORTUNATELY! PLEASE DONATE AND GIVE ME CUSTODY OF INUYASHA! Awww, it was a good try though...**

**Darkness Within**

He felt restless. He didn't know why he did, or maybe it had to do with the fact that the startling nightmare he just had...was disturbing. No, it wasn't about Kagome, or anyone else for that matter. It had to deal with him...him alone...or that's what he thought.

His silvery white bangs were matted to his lightly tanned forehead that had suddenly gone pale, which was also covered in a light sheet of sweat. He thank the gods he was in a tree, for if he were down with his friends, they would have surely woken up to this sight of...him. He couldn't have imagined how he might've looked like right now, panting and dripping wet with sweat, but he didn't have time for humor.

Suddenly, something whispered to him and he jumped slightly on his tree branch, his golden eyes darting all over the dark forest that he was in to get a closer look at what was speaking to him. The graceful shadows of the swaying trees danced in his vision and he could only will his thundering heart to relax. There wasn't anything out of place, so that was good, right? However...his still fresh nightmare came back to mind, yet the events in it couldn't have been true...no, he still refused to believe such a thing _could_ be true or even _possible_ as a matter of fact...

But there it was again. It was more of a lulling whisper than anything else...but whoever it came from had a rich voice filled with something more like...darkness or malice. He didn't know how to describe it, but it called to him in a manner that had him itching to fall asleep...like in his dream...Oh no...was he going insane? He was...he most likely was going insane because the voice sounded like his own for a second...and the one from his dream...

He _had_ to be insane...this couldn't be true...that old fortune teller was telling him a lie god dammit! Now she put a spell on him or something...yes...that was it...no it wasn't it.

The old fortune teller was right...

...because the third time he caught the whisper, he knew it wasn't _around_ him. It came _from_ him...from his _mind_...and it sure as hell wasn't him thinking...oh gods...

The fourth time was much clearer than the rest...and he could make out clear words...

...and he wished he hadn't...

...for it whispered in that eerily, haunting rich voice that sounded so much like his own...

_...I'm awake...the darkness within you is awake..._

_...Inuyasha..._

How...how...how the hell could t-this be?! His hands lightly trembled as he gripped his head to get the dark voice to stop...but it wouldn't. It just kept getting louder and louder...firmer and firmer...darker and darker...

What the **hell** was he doing?! He had to be strong, the only reason he could hear that voice was because of his own idiotic fear! He had to get a grip on himself. Dreams, nightmares much less, were never true. They **will** never be true. So he had nothing to worry about. Right?

Right.

_...you're wrong...I'm just as real as you are...didn't I tell you?_

Oh no...oh **hell** no...that time was so clear that it made him actually tremble with fear. If that fortune teller was right...then she was right about everything else...no...not_ that_. It was hard enough to handle the times when he transformed...the feeling of not knowing your body anymore, the feeling of no self control...he **never** wanted to feel that way again...

Yet, didn't he just feel like a total stranger in his own body right now?

Like he was suddenly unwelcome...

...suddenly not him anymore...

With that realization, he couldn't be on the tree anymore, he **had **to get off. He needed air, he needed to breathe! The air around him wasn't enough, it was thick and humid and tense; the list could go one forever. Gods, the voice was laughing at him, laughing the way Naraku had with such malice...no this was worse than Naraku's taunting, cackling laughs...

...much worse because...

...that was himself laughing.

**

* * *

**

It was a bright spring day in the Feudal Era and the Inu-Tachi was just a day and a half away from returning to Kaede's village. The sun was shining its normal, brilliant golden yellow, the young, happy birds were chirping their beautiful morning tunes, and everything within their path was filled with joy and happiness.

The five hunters, however, were feeling a little down since it had been raining cats and dogs--as Kagome had _lightly_ put it--the whole time they were searching, and just when they decided to go back to Kaede's village it was bright and sunny again.

Talk about the irony.

Well, at least Naraku had already been defeated, so that was something less to worry about. But stupid _Naraku_ had forseen his death and rescattered the chunck of jewel shards he had possessed. But there weren't many left, maybe about five give or take. Now all they needed to do was find the rest of the shards to complete the jewel and they could live the rest of their aching lives in peace!

Yeah right.

Right now, the group was passing by a small village that was on the outskirts of their destination. The village seemed like a normal poor village that was, however, more self sufficient than the others the group had seen. For some reason, the villagers of all ages seemed very happy and were running around bustling with their pent up energy. They wondered what the commotion was all about, but received their answer when one villager shouted something among the rowdy group of eagerly awaiting villagers.

The one villager stood up on an abandoned crate in order to further address the group of villagers equally. "Gather around for the festival's in town, free of any cost! Come, relax, and retrieve the childish joy you have once lost!"

"A festival? Can we go?" Shippo immediately asked, putting on the puppy dog look on Kagome, complete with the wide eyes and pouting lip. The raven haired miko smiled and looked questiongly at Inuyasha, who just huffed and crossed his arms, slightly draping his long crimson haori sleeves over each other.

"Keh, festivals are a waste of time. We still have a long way to go to Kaede's village," the hanyou replied in his usual gruff tone, and Kagome only rolled her chocolate eyes, seeing through Inuyasha's act with great ease.

Even though Inuyasha had grown a little--or even just a tad bit--more open with people since the three years she had known him already, he still didn't like to agree with anyone no matter what. He always used excuses before he made it seem like he grudgingly accepted, yet he always agreed right from the beginning.

_Could save his energy if he just did so without such a fuss,_ Kagome thought, almost laughing out loud, _but then again that wouldn't be my Inuyasha..._

"Hmm, a festival like this is pretty rare around this area. I think we should go." Sango already seemed to like the idea. Now it was three against one. Everyone looked towards the last person who had yet to say anything for or against the matter. But he was too entertained in staring at the supposedly luscious rear of one of the passing village women...

**SLAP!**

"Pay attention you lecherous monk!" Sango semi shouted as to not rouse the unwanted attention of passing villagers already staring at them.

Miroku cleared his throat loudly and stated his answer in the most dignified manner that a freshly slapped monk could have said in, "Yes, I agree with my lovely Sango. We could also use this time to relax from our very long journey." Sango blushed, but hid it well, and glared at Miroku, threatening to slap him again if she needed to. The monk in question only held up his hands in a surrendering pose.

But still, great, now it was four against one. _The damn monk just had to agree, didn't he? _Inuyasha couldn't believe his luck. Everyone was always against him...it was his silver hair wasn't it?

Oh well...

Inuyasha lightly growled to himself and gruffly answered, "Fine! You all got two hours to _relax_ and then we're leaving, got it?"

Shippo cheered and started running off to look at the festival with Kagome behind him, as she also tugged along a very reluctant hanyou with her. Miroku and Sango both shook their heads, albeit smiled at the trio and followed closely behind them towards the exciting ambient of the festival.

Exciting, wow.

**

* * *

**

"There, now can we go?"

Two hours passed and the group had pretty much already relaxed, ate, and enjoyed themselves in the festival. It had been a very pleasant day for the group, even Inuyasha couldn't deny that to himself. They had goofed around, laughed at each other, and pretty much settled down after such a long, tiresome journey. The brightly colored decorations added to the beauty and spring ambience of the festival, and all couldn't help but wonder how it would look like at night.

Yet, now that Inuyasha felt that the time was up, he wanted to go. However, it seemed that the others were against the thought by the way they were longingly staring at one more attraction in front of them. Outside, the attraction looked like a regular hut, but it had a wooden sign hanging on the door signaling yet another attraction.

One that seemed worthy of going to...or at least the majority of the group thought so...

"Inuyasha..." Kagome trailed off, suggesting something while glancing from him to the attraction with a longing deep within her eyes. Inuyasha knew what that meant, but as stubborn as he was, he refused to accept it.

He only growled and crossed his arms defiantly. "No way in hell!"

"Please--"

"No!"

"Come on--"

"No!"

"Inu--"

"Are you deaf wench?! I said **no!"**

"Just this last one! Dont make me s-i-t you!"

At this, Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and glared at Kagome with slightly wide golden eyes. "You wouldn't dare!"

Kagome, however, crossed hers and glared back at him. "I'll prove it! Si--"

"Fine dammit! But that's **it!" **

He couldn't believe how submissive he was to her. When they had first met, he had wanted to kill her, argued with her constantly, and very much had a wild and free spirit. But now, three years later, he was agreeing with her right from the very start! And it was not nearly enough to make it seem like he didn't want to agree anymore! But he had a hunch Kagome knew and didn't want to expose that to the others for him, thank goodness, and that was why she only threatened to sit him, yet never did it.

Well, no one saw him complaining about that concept, now did they?

Kagome grinned brightly at him the way she usually did when she was grateful--it was a grin that held her affections for him that he knew so well of, and it always seemed to warm his heart. She made him feel like a child again with a giddy, innocent crush, and gods was it ever annoying!

But, then again, he much rather have Kagome smiling at him constantly with affection than have her glaring at him with hate. If it ever came down to that...what would he do? He didn't feel like pondering it.

Ever.

Inuyasha, _seemingly_ very reluctant, turned around to face the attraction that the others wanted to go to, since he had turned his back to it, and read with a groan that it was a fortune telling one. What a load of bull, that stuff was never true. Why would they want to spend their precious time to get to Kaede's village on...on...**this** of **all** things!

Yet...Kagome beamed at him again and took his hand in hers, leading him inside with her...

And that was enough to shut him up...for now.

The others followed after Inuyasha and Kagome into what seemed like a regular hut, but held the sign of a free fortune telling by Madame Kyoko on the door. Who was Madame Kyoko, they didn't know not even in all their travels, but who cared?

Inuyasha sure didn't.

Once everyone was inside, they saw that there was a regular Japanese table set up on the beige tatami floor with a transluscent crystal ball on top of it. Soon after their entrance, an old woman who could rival in Kaede's age--and wrinkles Inuyasha added-- came into the room and greeted her clients.

She looked like a gypsy, with her dark blue peasant skirt and matching white shirt, and also with the dark blue head band tied to the side on her surprisingly full head of hair. It was very hard to find gypsies in Japan now a days since they were highly discriminated against, but here she was to all of their ultimate surprises.

However, for some reason, her gazed lingered around Inuyasha more than it was supposed to, and he couldn't help but notice it. He would have been sickened to death if it were a gaze of lust, he even got sick just thinking about it, but that wasn't the case. Was it because he was a half demon? He couldn't tell, but something told him that it wasn't...

The old woman, presumably Madame Kyoko, then smiled with a warmth that told of her wisdom to all of them once she snapped out of the daze induced by a certain hanyou. "Welcome all to my fortune telling attraction, free of any costs. You are all entitled to one fortune, and all you must do is put your hand on the crystal ball until it changes to a certain color."

Everyone nodded or looked blankly at her, but she assumed that they got it and gestured for someone to come up while the others took a seat on the soft, silky smooth cusions on the tatami.

Shippo was the first one to go, eager to have his forutne read, and followed the directions Madame Kyoko had given before, placing his small hands on the crystal ball. The ball turned from a transluscent white to a dark green, and the fortune teller closed her eyes and placed her own hands on the ball near Shippo's. Everyone wondered how this fortune telling thing was supposed to work, but then Madame Kyoko snapped opened her eyes, surprising everyone, and smiled at Shippo.

"Kitsune, you have had your many hardships in life, but it will now be your turn to prosper from them. You will have a great, successful future, and when there are hard obstacles in your way, be brave and do not give up. And yes, you will be a very handsome and tall young demon." Shippo silently cheered at that before deriding at a scoffing but nearly laughing out loud Inuyasha, a feat that only the hanyou could pull off perfectly, and took his seat back on his reserved cream colored cusion.

Sango went up next since neither Kagome nor Inuyasha were ready, and Miroku was paying more attention to her than to the fortune telling. She followed what Shippo had done, and once she touched the crystal ball, it turned into a soft magenta color. But supposedly there was nothing wrong with that when Madame Kyoko opened her eyes and smiled kindly, yet with an empathy Sango didn't know much about.

"Ah, you are a very tough young lady, my dear. You've had many ups and downs in life, but you can finally rest in peace knowing that your deceased loved ones are watching over you in the afterlife, as well as your brother. Do not be afraid to seek what it is you want, and most of all do not lie to yourself. What you want may be right in front of you."

Sango's dark brown eyes widened at what she had said and possibly started believing that this fortune telling was real. How did Madame Kyoko know about her family and Kohaku? She hadn't talked about any of them around the village, and it wasn't as if the old fortune teller had a book telling her about everyone's families!

The demon slayer sighed and went back to her seat, and noticed with a start that Miroku was the one sitting across from her on the table. Not that she hadn't known before, but recalling what Madame Kyoko had just said about what she wanted was right in front of her...oh great.

Soon, Miroku, whose fortune had been one of many children with whom he thought was with Sango, and Kagome, who was given a fortune to stay by the one she loved for he will need her in the near future--that had really confused her and a certain hanyou--finished their turns and it was only Inuyasha who had yet to go. But it wasn't as if it seemed like he really cared about fortune telling, though.

The others looked at him expectantly, yet he wasn't moving an inch towards Madame Kyoko. Nor was he looking at her; his gaze was directly fixed upon the opposite wooden wall.

"Um...Inuyasha, aren't you going to go get your free fortune?" Kagome asked, but the hanyou only scoffed, getting pretty irritated at this whole fortune crap.

Who cared about this stuff anyway? They would live through it sooner or later, and besides, it wasn't like it was going to happen. What if someone had a fortune of living a long life and the next day that same person was killed by bandits? Seeing into the future didn't exist, and Inuyasha wasn't going to start believing in it any time soon.

"We dont have time for this! We're wasting valuable time to get to the village on **this crap?!** For what, it might not ever even happen!"

"Inuyasha..."

"Oh shut up, I'm not changing my mind and I'm **not** doing this stupid fortune shit! Let's go."

"Hey--"

"Let's **go!"** Inuyasha hastily stood up and turned to leave but the voice of the second old hag, to him of course, stopped him, and he couldn't help but feel a little more than just angry at that.

Was it that no one could understand that he didn't want to see his future because he _had_ no future? What was left for a hanyou like him in this world? Nothing. If he saw his future now he would probably see himself dead or homeless.

Homeless...he hated that word with a passion beyond his comprehension.

"Hanyou, is it that you are afraid of seeing your future?" Inuyasha stopped mid way in his tracks and stiffened, slowly turning around to face the burning brown gaze of Madame Kyoko. Why the hell did she care if he took his fortune or not? And how the hell did she know that?

Great, now the others suspected something by the way they were waiting for his answer.

"O-Of course not! It's none of your damn business ya old hag!"

"Inuyasha!" Madame Kyoko smiled patiently at Kagome, who had angrily fisted her hands together on her lap, and returned her gaze on Inuyasha. He was glaring threateningly at her, daring her to make him take his fortune.

Well...he begged her for a challenge and she was going to give it to him.

"Then prove it to us, hanyou. If you are brave enough to see what your future has instore for you, then prove it." Inuyasha growled audibly, and stomped back to the tatami, taking a seat in front of Madame Kyoko while letting loose a string of colorful choice words.

Still growling deep within his chest, he placed his clawed hands on the now white crystal ball and watched it as it turned into a blood red, almost like the color of his haori. But then to his and everyone's great surprise, black swirled into the red, clouding it over with its darkness, and soon the crystal ball became entirely charcoal black.

No one knew what it meant but Madame Kyoko, yet when eyes turned towards her, her lips were widely parted and her mahogany brown eyes widened more than just a fraction. Her skin had also gone ashen, and the others could only guess what had been so frightening that had twisted her once amiable expression.

Her current one was an expression of shock...and some terror.

"Take your hands off, take them off now!" Inuyasha quickly complied with the order, without a fuss this time, and faced Madame Kyoko again. She seemed to be contemplating something now with a grim expression on her face, and what it was no one but her knew.

"Excuse me for this, but I would like everyone but the hanyou to wait outside for a moment. I have something...to speak with him about."

Inuyasha was going to retort indifferently at that, but Miroku and Sango stood up, nodded, and dragged along a very confused Shippo and they didn't forget about Kirara with them outside the hut. Kagome glanced back and forth between Madame Kyoko and a spluttering Inuyasha while thinking of a quick decision before sighing and following after the others. She didn't want to leave him alone in there, but she had to this time.

Once everyone was outside, Inuyasha turned his golden amber gaze towards Madame Kyoko expectantly, not really fully trusting her just yet. Why the hell did she want to speak with him, alone better yet? And what the hell happened when he put his hand on the crystal ball? Well, he wanted some answers too.

Madame Kyoko sighed as she stood up to get something in another room of the hut. Inuyasha wondered what it was, and when she came back, he was surprised to see that she had brought back an old scroll that looked older than the Tetsusaiga. He was even more surprised when the old hag shoved the scroll at him and demanded that he open it.

"Why do you want me to open this damn scroll?"

Madame Kyoko refrained from answering him and only gestured for him to untie the rough string holding it closed and read the scroll. Inuyasha grumbled under his breath and complied, his notrocious curiousity finally taking the best of him. Once he unrolled the scroll, he noticed that there was no writing on it, but a drawing...a drawing of what looked to be him on it...but he was wearing an entirely black haori and hakama...and were those black stripes on his cheeks?

...no it couldn't be him then...could it?

The person in the drawing was also holding some kind of weapon that he couldn't say that he had seen before...what was it again? A scythe. The scythe's silver blade was jagged and was just about the length of his Tetsusaiga. There was only one difference between the person in the drawing and himself. This person looked to be a full demon while he was only a half demon. The full demon was complete with his elven ears, black facial markings and hints of markings tracing down his lightly tanned arms, and there were no silver dog ears atop of his head. dog ears was something Inuyasha had, something that separated him from the full bloods.

This definitely wasn't him then with all that proof.

"What in the...seven hells...**is** this?"

Finally, Madame Kyoko decided to talk, "This scroll was passed down in my family for generations. And my family were prophetic gypsies. The seer of our village had seen that a great calamity was going to befall the people of these lands and had drawn a picture of what she had seen. That, in the drawing, is you. She had said that the person who was going to cause the calamity was a hanyou, a hanyou born of a dog demon lord and a human princess. Am I not correct in that small detail, **hanyou?" **

Inuyasha remained quiet, a little too stunned by the fact that some so called seer had seen what _appeared_ to be him causing some sort of _calamity_. He had never heard so much bull in his life...

"You're wrong, clearly this is a full demon! I am a hanyou, not this fucking calamity befaller! You might be right about my family, but I'll be damned before I believe this is me for one second!"

"No, I am not wrong, you just dont understand is all. When you touched the crystal ball, I sensed it, this evil power inside of you. The red signified your life line, your heart and mind, but then the black clouded it...Darkness is what it is called. It is inside of you, hanyou." Inuyasha smirked and tucked the scroll into one of the folds of his haori before standing up.

He'd keep it, but he wont believe it.

"I think you've read a little too many fortunes old hag. Now you're going insane from it. I aint causing no _calamities_ or what not anytime soon so just quit your babbling, will ya? See ya later hag."

"Hanyou, heed my words!" Inuyasha stopped, and Madame Kyoko continued, "Do not let the Darkness take over your sanity. I'm warning you, once it awakens and it takes over your heart, you will destroy everything and anything in your path. You will become sadistic to the pain of others, and it will be worse than the time you transformed into a full demon and deliberately murdered a group of bandits without mercy." How she knew about that had Inuyasha confused, and that little factor really unnerved him, but he still listened again out of curiosity nonetheless.

Fucking curiousity.

But...

_Old hag knows too much for her own damn good..._

"It will attack you at times when you are weak and it will make you question your sanity. Be careful, and if it comes to it, distance yourself from the ones you care about. Even your subconscious mind will stop at nothing to have what you want, be it the death of your friends...or the death of you yourself. Darkness wants what it has once lost, and it will use you to regain its full form again. That, in the drawing, is its full form. You have been chosen to hold the darkness within you, and from now on, what you wish to do about it is your decision alone. But remember this. It will never leave you alone...for _it_ **is** _you_."

Inuyasha only kehed and scowled at the old fortune teller, having had enough of her stupid _prophetic_ blabbering. What was the big idea anyway, she didn't even know him! "Will you **shut up **already! You're **wrong **ya old hag, nothing's inside of me _excpet_ for _me! _Keh, see you later, or better yet, see you _never_."

The hanyou left the hut in a hurry so that he wouldn't be stopped again, and Madame Kyoko only sighed deeply. She only wished that the hanyou considered it and heeded her words, for who knew what he could do in his future rampages? Not even she could see into that, and it was only him who could see into his own future from now on.

But that was if _he_ chose to do so.

"That is what I fear, young one. Nothing is inside of you...excpet for_ you_."

_**A/N: Bet no one thought of this plot, huh?**_


	2. His Darkness

**A/N: Happy early Thanksgiving? Wasn't I on a roll on Halloween? LOL, it is one of my favorite holidays...**

**Darkness Within 2**

He couldn't believe this. He couldn't fucking believe this! Why the hell did people just go on and on about nothing at all? Playing dirty tricks on him, making him believe stupid old legends and supposed phrophecies. There was no way in all the raging hells that he was going to believe that old hag for **one** second!

He had to calm down. He had already scared off half of the "pleasant" villagers that had been innocently passing by him and the others on the dirt path out of the village, and just one look at his angry, contorted face sent them running on their heels. He inwardly laughed at that.

Pathetic humans.

Ok, so now what? He had the damn scroll of ages hidden within the folds of his blood red haori, but why was he compelled to take it with him anyways? The scroll wasn't even his, and there was no use for it either. It wasn't like it was the key for him to unlock some sort of divine sword of making ramen out of thin air. If it were, he would take it in a heart beat, but it wasn't so why did he take it? However, something stopped him from discarding it carelessly like the way he should have done back at the fortune teller's borrowed hut.

Keh, thinking about her really annoyed him to death.

But was it really true? Could there even _be_ a possibility that it was true? He hadn't really given much thought about many things and they turned around and kicked him in the ass. Should he really waste his time thinking about a figment of some old hag's imagination?

Nah, too much work. He still had shards to collect and people to protect. No need to worry himself with something that was just a hag's really bad nightmare from drinking too much sake. Right?

Gah! There he went again! Trying to make up excuses that he knew weren't true! Damn that Madame Kyoko for giving him a headache! He knew that the damn fesitval was going to end baddly right from the start, but everyone else had wanted to go and he just _had _to accept didn't he! This was unbearable. He wished he could be up in the thick, healthy branches of the Goshinboku just so that he could think about this more thoroughly.

Was that supposed to mean something bad?

Most likely.

Inuyasha growled to himself again and his group trudging behind him just sighed with him. He'd been at it ever since they had left the fortune teller's hut, which had been five hours ago. They didn't know what had transpired between the two but whatever it was had made Inuyasha think, for five hours straight non-stop, and when Inuyasha thought that much, it must have been somewhat important.

Better yet, really important.

Kagome sighed as she glanced at Inuyasha to see him fist his hands yet again with such force that they shook. He even dug his claws into the palm of his hands, drawing more drops of blood each time and creating cresent moon cuts that would heal completely in just three minutes. She couldn't bare to watch him do this to himself hour after hour, but it were as if he didn't even notice the wounds he was inflicting upon himself.

Couldn't he at least feel the slight twinge of pain?

Everyone wondered what Madame Kyoko had said to the hanyou to make him feel this way, to make him so angry at his thoughts. No matter how hard they tried, Inuyasha ignored them, too lost in his own thoughts to even know where they were even walking to. That hardly happened, maybe at times when he saw his once dirt and soil Kikyou, but those days were over since the miko had given up her share of Kagome's soul in order to defeat Naraku. That Kikyou was gone, and Inuyasha finally accepted that she hadn't been really alive for over fifty years.

So that was definately crossed out on their list.

The major part of the day was spent with Inuyasha deeply growling to himself and the group just watching him with long since tired eyes. Inuyasha didn't notice how their movements had turned sluggish and how they were dragging themselves forward because, again, he was too lost in his own thoughts. The hanyou hardly ever slowed his pace, with his long legs covered by his red hakama and his hanyou strength how could he?

Kaede's village was just six more hours down the fading brown dirt path, but the group couldn't take it any longer. They were tired from their last encounter with a shard bearing demon, which was just about the height of the Tree of Ages, and the fight did not end so smoothly as others, not to mention their rendezvous at the festival earlier that day had completely wiped them out. But now a new problem that demanded contemplation had arised.

Who was going to tell that detached from the world hanyou that they wanted to stop?

"What?! Why me?!" Kagome asked in a hushed voice, but still pretty firm and surprised. The four of them, or five counting Kirara, were huddled in a circle trying to figure out who was going to tell Inuyasha to rest for the night. At the rate that the hanyou was going, he would probably get to Kaede's village in two hours! The others knew that they wouldn't, but Inuyasha hadn't noticed that his pack had even stopped moving.

"Kagome, Inuyasha only listens to you. If either Miroku or I tell him he'd never stop for sure." Sango quietly reasoned with the miko, trying to get her point across. It was true, Inuyasha hardly ever listened to Sango or Miroku. Much more less to Shippo. It was only Kagome that had him wrapped around her finger like a string, having the power to wind him or unwind him.

But that didn't mean that she wanted to take advantage of it...sometimes...

"B-but what makes you think that he'd listen to me in the grouchy mood he's in?! I dont really feel like sitting him when he's like this, and you know what happened last time!"

Heh, last time Kagome argued with Inuyasha over resting for the night it resulted in her sitting him and no one could have stopped Inuyasha from running away ahead of them. He had left them in the dark forest that they were in, one which wasn't particularly safe from demons or nasty animal predators, and came back early the next morning to wake them up, still in a **very** foul mood.

Even to this day, none of the group members could have guessed where Inuyasha had gone, but the way he had looked when he finally showed up made them think about the possiblity that he had been mud wrestling with a green bush...

"Yes, but he cares more about how_ you _feel. If you tell him that you're about to collaspe from exhaustion he will listen and let us all rest, even if he does so unwillingly." Kagome couldn't argue with Miroku there, what he said was very true. Inuyasha really did care if she was tired or hungry. He might be a jerk about it, but he hunted for her and made sure she rested.

That is how she knew that Inuyasha must have had some type of feelings for her, even if it were just friendship wise, because if he didn't, then why would he bother and waste his time with her? He would have treated her like the rest, forcing them to find their own food and supplies themselves. But with her it was a different story, even she couldn't deny it any longer.

Yet...

"Please Kagome, _I'm_ the one who's going to collaspe from exhaustion here!" Even Shippo was in it, great. And he was the one that had it good because he could just hop onto someone's shoulder and not have to walk the rest of the way if he was tired. But the ones who did walk were in a different sitsuation because they didn't have Shippo's physique to just randomly hop on shoulders now did they?

Now she knew at least a tad bit how Inuyasha felt when the kit took her side in their arguements...

"_-sigh-_ Fine, you guys win." Sango patted her on the back in a supporting manner and Miroku, no perversion included at last, propelled her towards Inuyasha, who looked like he was a mile away from them already. With his hanyou senses it was strange that he didn't hear their weight moving on the dirt that was mixed with stones now and then behind him anymore.

He must have been _really_ out of it.

When Kagome finally reached Inuyasha, a few minutes later because she had to run to catch back up with him, he still didn't notice her presence. This was starting to worry her. Not that she thought that he was incapable of thinking to himself, it was because he ...sometimes...it was just that when he thought too much...she felt like she was loosing him, like he was too detached from the world and anything she said couldn't have brought him back. She didn't know why, it was just a feeling she had.

It was stupid anyways.

"Inuyasha..." If he had heard her he didn't show it because he still kept on walking. Power walking was more like it though, Kagome had to jog to keep up with him. Him and his long legs...when did she start thinking his legs were long?

Well, it was true, the man was tall...

She called his name again but he still ignored her. Kagome decided to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention, and mustering up her courage she did. But she didn't expect Inuyasha to freak out on her the way that he did.

When she tapped his shoulder he first went rigid, then he must have jumped a few feet forward, and bared his sharp fangs and claws at her with a sort of raw fear in his flaring golden eyes. It shocked her beyond belief that he didn't recognize her and that he was even** scared **of her! Now she knew something was really wrong with her hanyou.

It took a few seconds for Inuyasha to calm down and realize that it was only Kagome who had tapped his shoulder. Dammit, he could smell the hurt and worry radiating off of her in waves. Look what he had done now! Because he had been _so_ into his thoughts he mistaked Kagome for a predator, better yet, a figment of a hag's imagination. What was **wrong** with him?! How could **he** forget Kagome's sweet vanilla and lavender scent like that?! Damn that old fortune teller!

The two just stared at each other, one in shock and the other in self revilement. The others finally caught up with them when they saw what had happened and couldn't help but to stare at Inuyasha with shocked, confused eyes as well. And they couldn't help but stiffen and ready for any sudden mindless attacks he might make. No one never knew, Inuyasha was really out of it and he **had** been about to attack Kagome, hadn't he?

Inuyasha growled and stood up straight, willing himself to relax and breathe in and out normally. He crossed him arms and kehed, trying to act as if nothing had happened, and also trying to look anywhere else but in Kagome's questioning chocolate eyes. She was trying to figure out what had happened to him, but the problem was that even he didn't know that.

"Keh, what the fuck do you want wench?! Cant anyone get some damn peace and quiet around here to think?!" Kagome sighed in relief and shook her head. She knew he was just covering up, but at least he was somewhat back to normal. The raw fear she had seen in his eyes, and it had been directed at her...she had just wanted to die on the spot.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha, I shouldn't have done that. We just...we just wanted to know if we could stop for the night, it is getting dark and we're dead tired..." Kagome was also surprised when Inuyasha huffed and lead the group to a clearing off the path to rest for the night. The clearing was diminutive, but it was enough for the night complete with surrounding trees and lush green grass. Not to mention that it also had a clear view of the stars watching over them, a view that Kagome stood to watch.

Inuyasha kehed once he made sure that there weren't any demons or predators waiting to have their dinner, and jumped up onto a thick tree branch watching over them in case anything suspiscious caught his eye. With everything set aside, Inuyasha returned to his earlier thoughts, again detaching himself from his present time. He said nothing to his group of friends, but there was nothing the group could have said to him either.

"Well...I guess we could make some dinner and then get some rest..." The others only nodded at Sango's inquiry and got started on preparing their temporary camp. Miroku busied himself by starting up a small fire, Kagome dug around her large yellow backpack for some ramen packets, and Shippo and Kirara just waited to watch Sango cook more ramen yet again for the night.

Once the ramen was done, the bowls were handed to everyone excpet for Inuyasha, who even at the smell of ramen hadn't come down from the tree he still reclined on. Kagome had his ramen cup in her hands and sighed, staring down at the steaming noodles that were just begging to be eaten. She looked up into the tree Inuyasha jumed up on to see that he didn't acknowledge the ramen, better yet, he didn't awknoweldge her.

Was it something she had done?

"Inuyasha?" Kagome only heard a gruff grunt in response, the hanyou in the tree making no other sign that he had heard her other than that.

She only sighed more heavily, "Inuyasha, come down and eat your ramen. It's going to get cold if you dont." Another grunt, but Kagome patiently waited for him to say something else. Hopefully he'd take the hint and respond in full words that she could understand.

Finally, what seemed like ages later, Inuyasha actually did reply, though somewhat gruffly and distant. "I dont want any wench so leave me alone."

Kagome squinted her eyes at him to get a better look at his expression but his face was covered by some leaves of the upper branches, so she turned back around to the group to see them look just as concerned as her. They had finished their own ramen already, and that was very unsual since Inuyasha was always the first one done. Yet, today he didn't want any ramen, and that was strange for he would always jump at the mere mention of it.

It didn't help that he was already acting like a total stranger, but turning down ramen meant something was definately up. Now all the group had to do was figure out what was bothering him. Inuyasha was very hard to figure out, much less get information out of. But he was their friend, their leader, and they needed to help him, be it him willing or unwilling.

"We should leave him alone, at least until tomorrow. If he is still acting the way he is then we will take this matter into our own hands." Everyone agreed with Miroku's whisper, albeit hesitantly, especially Kagome. With one last glance at Inuyasha's shadowed red silhouette up in the tree, she nodded to herself and sat down, leaving the ramen out incase Inuyasha changed his mind while everyone slept.

_Inuyasha..._ She had to give him some space. What ever it was that was said to him was meant for his ears alone. He had to sort it out and no matter how much she wanted to help him she couldn't. Actually, she probably could, but he just wouldn't let her.

It could have been a matter of his pride and ego, but the situsation seemed more complex than only that. What was he hiding from her? She only wanted him to know that she was always there for him, and she knew that he knew as well...but it just..._Inuyasha will never stop being Inuyasha I guess..._

That was true, and she didn't want him to change either. With that thought in mind, Kagome relaxed once Miroku made sure that the fire would not last much longer, and let the drifting darkness consume her into the land of dreams. She only hoped, before she fell asleep, that Inuyasha could go there too...

But she didn't think at all that what she hoped for would cause the beginning of Inuyasha's painful questioning of his own sanity...

**-XxX-**

**(Dream State)**

_Inuyasha found himself in a place that absolutely sickened him to death. It was a place that looked like a battle field, but it was truthfully a village. A human village. Well, it had been a human village because now all the life that had resided in it, all the bustles of energy, were completely gone and destroyed by the claws of death. Was it bandits who had done this? No, not even they could do this much damage. _

_There were five deep, wide cracks on the ground, cracks that seemed familiar to those of the Wind Scar performed on the ground, and the blood of the had been villagers near the cracks seeped right into them. Right, blood was everywhere, and even if this was supposedly a dream, the stench of blood and death hit him hard. Inuyasha covered his sensitive nose with his long haori's sleeve, and inspected the village even further. _

_Not one of the wooden huts was still intact. All of them were destroyed, only forming piles of blood splattered wood and debris where they had once stood. He grimaced as he saw the body of a child with a slab of wood cutting right through his middle. Disgusting, bandits might cause disaster in villages but never this bad. This...this had been a massacre. No...this must have been the work of a demon...he could smell it..._

_As Inuyasha walked forward, wincing orgrimacing at all the decaying flesh of the dead villagers littering the village, he finally caught the scent of a demon, not just any demon, it was the demon that had caused this. No, it was a half demon, and a powerful one at that. Its youki started to flow throughout the village and it engulfed him, surrounding him completely. The youki was trying to choke him, over come his senses, but it also had a calming effect on him, but he didn't know if that was a bad thing or good a thing. _

_It wasn't Naraku, he was sure of it because this half demon smelled so...it was unusual to enouncter one that smelled more demon than human. There were no such things as quarter humans, so that couldn't be an answer. Who exactly was this new mysterious half demon? _

_"Show yourself! I know you're there, demon!" Inuyasha tried calling out to it, hoping for it to control its raging youki. That was very unlikely, but he slowly felt his strength draining away and he was suddenly overcomed with the urge to...sleep. He didn't know how that could happen since he was already asleep, seemingly, but...argh he didn't know! _

_Damnit, he didn't know youki could have this kind of effect._

_There was a sudden explosion up ahead of him and dirt particles flew into the air, making his line of sight become filled with light brown dust clouds. The dust made his nose itch irratably and he sneezed and coughed a few times to gain his little control back. _

_When Inuyasha finally raised his golden eyes upwards, he saw a black figure slowly make its way towards him, looking graceful and sure as hell taking its lovely time. It reminded him of the way Sesshoumaru walked, with such posture and self confidence. It made him want to kill that bastard. A silver glint of its moon white hair shined in the glaring sun above them, but he couldn't see the face until the dust clouds faded..._

_The figure finally came to a complete halt a few meters infront of him and Inuyasha's line of sight finally cleared up. And what he saw made him want to die right there on the spot. The figure...it was the exact same person that was on the scroll Madame Kyoko gave him, except this demon looked more like him because of the dog ears atop of his head. But this one still had the black markings... He hadn't thought that the demon on the scroll resembled him much...but in person it was true...so very true..._

_"What the..." Inuyasha couldn't form any words other than what the. He tried to talk again but his voice box suddenly didn't feel like working and he was stuck with just staring at the demon straight in the eye. The demon that resembled him smirked slightly, his malisciously passionate amber eyes that held some kind of hidden blood lust scanning the one in red infront of him. _

_"Surprising, isn't it, Inuyasha..." That voice...it was his god dammit! How dare that good for nothing mongrel steal his voice and his face! His hair! Even his clothing! But...its voice sounded so much richer...smooth like Sesshoumaru's...and what the hell was he saying it was still his voice!_

_"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?!" The demon chuckled without any traces of mirth, and Inuyasha found it very uncomfortable just looking at him. He was usually over confident about things like this...but right now he just wanted to run away and wake up. _

_Something he had never even dreamed of doing..._

_"Ah, but I am you, Inuyasha...I know you because we are both the same..."_

_"The **hell **we are!" _

_Another chuckle...so evil and rich...it made Inuyasha actually shiver... "You are quite naive, aren't you? Wait, **we** are naive. So tell me, Inuyasha, do you like what you see? We did this, we have completed our life long mission. This...this used to be our home village. Funny how mortals are so ignorant...dont you agree?" _

_Inuyasha's eyes widened in utter shock as he took a look around the village. There was no one that he remembered because they would have been dead by now...but one person, or used to be person, seemed familiar to him and caught his eye. An old man was lying in the debris of his own home, his dull gray eyes searching something, searching for answers as to why his pain was so great. He remembered that old man...the once boyish face had been wrinkled with knowledge of life before he had died._

_That old man was..._

_"You...you killed Hiroshi...you killed the only person that didn't care that I was a half demon! You fucking sick **bastard**!" Inuyasha lunged angrily at the demon infront of him without a second thought, only to get the breath knocked out of him in one swift punch and get his throat painfully constricted. The demon holding him narrowed his eyes, seemingly stopping himself from killing Inuyasha in his dreams. _

_No matter how hard he tried to claw at the hand that had black markings resembling those of Sesshoumaru's, with a sinking heart Inuyasha noticed that when he hurt the demon holding him, drew his blood...he hurt himself as well..._

_The evil Inuyasha smirked and held Inuyasha up higher, completely lifting the hanyou's bare feet off of the ground. "Realize it yet? Everytime you hurt me, you're hurting yourself. Everytime I hurt you, like now, I'm only hurting **my**self. But unlike you, I could handle it." Inuyasha growled and tried again to break free, but the hand constricting his throat only tightened its grip, threatening to sink its razor sharp claws into the soft, sensitive flesh of his neck. _

_"And no, Inuyasha, I didn't really kill Hiroshi, but I wish I did. He is not like how he used to be, he has grown bitter and angry. And very hateful towards demons, especially half demons such as ourselves. I killed him in our dream. But I will kill him in reality as well...anyone that dares to cause us misery will die by our hands..."_

_"I...wont...l-let you...damnit..."_

_"You dont get it, do you? You cant stop me because I am **you**_._ You are going to kill him with your** own **free will. It is your **destiny**. The prothecy **will **be fufilled and you **will **harness the Jewel of Trepidation, again with your own free will." Inuyasha stared at...himself in a state of bewilderment. The way his amber eyes flashed when he empathized some words, was he that scary? He never thought there would come a day when he was scared of...himself..._

_And the Jewel of Trepidation? What was that?_

_The demon holding Inuyasha loosened his death grip on him, but did not let go entirely. His sadistic smile turned into a tight thin line with the next thing he said. "Dont think you can get away from me. We are like Kagome and the had been ressurected priestess Kikyou, the same person yet so different. They had once shared a soul, but had two different bodies. But you and I...we share the same soul, **and** the same body. We share the same thoughts, same wants, same feelings, we share everything. Dont you forget that." _

_The demon finally completely released Inuyasha onto the dirt ground and looked down at him in a malicious sort of way, with that blood hungry look in his golden amber eyes again, one that had Inuyasha just itching to run away...but then he smirked at him, and Inuyasha decided that his smirks were worse than the ones he probably wore when he turned full demon. _

_"We will stop at nothing to get the revenge we want. Even if it means muderdering innocents, destroying everything we worked for, killing your beloved _friends_, we will conquer. For too many years have I been dormant inside of you, and now that I'm free I will show everyone that has wronged us just how powerful we are. And before I go...I'm known to all those as Darkness, but you may call me Dark, Inuyasha...until next time then..."_

_Dark started walking away while laughing to himself from where Inuyasha still layed on the ground, leaning on his arms to support his still weakened body from Dark's youki. The demon suddenly disappeared and everything around Inuyasha started dissolving as well. But the rich, evil cackle of that...that thing that **dared** to call himself...himself still pounded in his ears..._

_Oh god..._

_That was his darkness within..._

**A/N: CUT! REVIEW!**


	3. Back Again

**A/N: MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS!! Oh my god, what's wrong with me and updating around holidays?**

**Darkness Within 3**

The next "bright" and "beautiful" morning was brought to the group by the ruckus of their hanyou friend. The group was woken up by the adamant shouting of a certain hanyou that they all adored and loved. But at the moment they just couldn't seem to remember why...

It took a while to comprehend, however, that Inuyasha really did not seem ok. His state of sanity had slipped since last night, and now he seemed even more restless and detached than ever. He was constantly looking over his shoulder and jumped when he heard the slightest sounds near him. He even freaked out when a green lizard innocently scurried into his path of walking. Inuyasha was suddenly not there anymore either and he spaced out more than usual. And one little thing he heard sent him into another mode of silent panic.

Why was he so paranoid?

Not only that but Inuyasha had awaken them just so that they could go back to the village that they were just in. They weren't too far from Kaede's village now, and he abruptly wanted to go back to the one where they had finally just fully exited?

Something was very wrong with the hanyou because he had been the one pushing them to get to Kaede's village faster, and now he had changed his sense of direction. It would have been ok if he were the one that sensed the jewel shards, but he wasn't, it was Kagome and she sensed nothing. Neither was there any danger around them for miles and miles away.

So now they had walked the whole entire sunny morning and a little into the afternoon until they finally reached the village that had held the festival the day before. But it seemed that the festival had finished because the once rowdy villagers were cleaning up the remains of their festivities, and all the attractions that had been there yesterday were no longer there. That didn't seem to lighten up a certain hanyou's already damp mood...

"What. Did. You. Just. **Say**?" The villager slightly trembled out of sheer fear at the tone of the hanyou's voice infront of him.

He clasped his shaking hands together and bowed down to the hanyou infront of him, even if it was a shameful thing to do. Yes, the hanyou with very sharp claws and fangs that could easily tear through his puny bones, how could he not? He valued life more than shame...He was better off running away and just not reply in order to save his still pathetic life, but...right now he couldn't really feel his legs...

What did he do to deserve this?! He was only being a good samaritan when the hanyou had asked what happened to the festival and he kindly told him and his group that the festival had migrated. Now he was probably going to be killed by this hanyou gone rabid! Thank god that the hanyou had some human friends with him...hopefully they'd be kind enough to prevent such a thing from happening...

"Inuyasha, leave the poor man alone and let's just go to the village that he's talking about." Kagome pleaded with Inuyasha, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from attacking the man just out of spite.

The villager spluttered his thanks to her and used the pregnant pause to run away for cover, but Inuyasha angrily shrugged off Kagome's hand, walking towards the direction of the new village where the festival was being held at. This new direction happened to be the direction that they had came from just two days ago.

To the west.

Kagome stared at her slender hand and then at Inuyasha's retreating back before sighing and following after him, though still feeling unusually meloncholy. Yet Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara stayed behind, watching the two as they kept on walking without noticing that there were people not following after them too.

"Miroku...this is going too far. Inuyasha is deliberately ignoring Kagome and refusing to have anything to do with her. Do you think it has something to do with his need to see Madame Kyoko again?" Sango asked the dark haired monk who was also staring at the two with a grimace on his handsome face. What Sango said was true and possible...but they would only know for sure if Inuyasha told them outright, which was highly unlikely.

"I think you are right, Sango, but what _is_ this sudden need? Not to mention that he is taking it out on Kagome, which is highly affecting her more than usual." Sango nodded in agreement and the four started walking again, following after the miko and hanyou a little ways ahead of them already. If they didn't start walking soon they would loose sight of them for how fast one specific hanyou was walking...

"Well, if you ask me, I think Inuyasha's just being a big jerk." Shippo huffed from his spot on Miroku's broad shoulder. The monk and demon slayer only sighed in perfect unision, shaking their heads in complete disagreement.

This went far beyond then Inuyasha just being his old, barbaric self. No, the hanyou never acted like this, so accelerated and paranoid over nothing...something was bothering him and they had to figure out what before it took its toll on not only him, but on Kagome as well.

**-XxX-**

In about three more hours, the group finally arrived at the new village where the festival was being held at. Again, the villagers were acting carefree, enjoying their day off from farming and tending to their daily chores for at least one day in their lives. Inuyasha only cursed under his breath and took off in a random direction, specifically to his right, trying to find Madame Kyoko's temporary residence, the others following closely behind him.

It didn't take long to find Madame Kyoko's fortune telling place and the group stood outside of the hut, waiting for their leader to do something. He was being hesitant to go in, his hand hovering over the wooden push-in door, but he finally shook his head and made a step to go in. Yet, when Inuyasha saw that the others were going to follow in pursuit he gruffly stopped them.

"Where the hell do you think your all going?! You're staying out here!" Kagome made a move to protest but he growled menacingly at her and disappeared inside the hut.

The miko put the arm she had raised down and huffed, walking away to further investigate other attractions she hadn't been able to look at because of Inuyasha yesterday. Shippo shifted his emerald green eyes back and forth between Kagome's retreating form and Madame Kyoko's hut and finally decided on following after Kagome.

Miroku and Sango only sighed in unision, once more in the same day, and also decided to follow after Kagome incase she needed them. Not only that, but if Inuyasha found out that she had gone off to explore on her own they would never live it down again.

Inside the hut, Inuyasha hesitantly sat down on one of the cusions on the tatami. The hut was arranged just the same way it was yesterday, not a thing was different. Well, he couldn't dwell on that thought for Madame Kyoko finally entered the main room. She looked a little surprised to see him there, her brown eyes widening just a fraction, but then acted as if she knew he was going to come all along.

"Well, well, well hanyou, we meet again. So much for seeing me never." Madame Kyoko said, repeating the phrase Inuyasha had said just before he left her hut the day before. He only growled in frustration and pounded his fist on the table, anything on it rumbling by the sheer force of his fist impacting on the dark brown wood.

"**Cut **the crap, hag! You know **damn **well why I'm here! And I want some fucking answers!"

Madame Kyoko chuckled lightly as she sat down on her own cusion on the tatami, staring at Inuyasha square in the eye. "What else is there to tell? I told you everything there is to know yesterday, there is nothing more if you were paying attention."

"I _was_ paying attention, but **you **didn't tell me **everything** there is to know!"

"Oh? And what would that be, hanyou?" Inuyasha growled again and tried not to relive his dream once again. But to no avail, images from his dream, no nightmare, came danced in his mind, taunting him, that wickedly rich voice laughing at his being. He didn't think he was ever going to fall asleep if these images kept it up...

"What the hell is the Jewel of Trepidation?" Any trace of mirth in Madame Kyoko's eyes completely vanished when Inuyasha said the Jewel of Trepidation. He didn't know what was so wrong about it that it seemed like the old hag had suddenly died of a heart attack, with her now pale white skin and bulging brown eyes...and he couldn't help but dread the oncoming explanation.

"Where did you hear of...of that jewel?"

"**He** told me...**he** wants me to _harness_ it. But I dont even know what it is!"

When Madame Kyoko finally got a hold of herself, she sighed and spoke to Inuyasha in an old, weary tone of voice. "The Jewel of Trepidation, also known as the Osore no Tama, is a jewel feared by all demons and humans alike. It is the complete opposite of the jewel you wish to complete, the Shikon no Tama. The Shikon no Tama is a jewel that only the pure of heart can completely harness. However, the Jewel of Trepidation is a jewel that only the evil of heart can completely harness."

Inuyasha stared at Madame Kyoko solemnly, before growling at her and adverting his golden gaze to her blank crystal ball. The thing that started all of his newly discovered misery. "There's more that you're still not telling me. I didn't come all this way to listen to you talk crap, I came to hear** all **of it and I'm not leaving until I do."

"You're right...but do you really wish to hear it all?" One hard glare gave Madame Kyoko her answer. The old fortune teller sighed and continued on with her explanation.

"So be it. The jewel lies in the Western Moutains, in the lands owned by your half brother. But...the jewel holds great power, beyond the power that of the Shikon no Tama. It was created by the Gate Keeper of Hell during a battle with the Gate Keeper of Heaven, and it only chooses those worthy of it to be its master."

"Many demons and corrupt humans alike have ventured to find this jewel, to use its evil power, but they had all failed and lost their lives. It feeds off of the corrupt hearts of beings, and hardly any live, even the pure mikos that have tried to seal it away. That is why the Jewel of Trepidation is greatly feared and never spoken of."

"And..."

Madame Kyoko sighed, getting pretty annoyed with this hanyou. But he made no signs of any remorse of apologies. "Patience is a virtue, I suggest you follow up with it." Inuyasha kehed and completely waved her off, only interested in getting what he came for. Why else would he withstand the annoyance of her very essense?

"I advise that you do not go after the jewel for it may cause you your life. If you are not its chosen, it will suck you in no matter how evil, no matter how good you are. And even if you do harness the Jewel of Trepidation, its power will ensure your death. No one lives with or without the jewel, hanyou, that is a warning. Give up the thought, you should not-"

"I cant." Madame Kyoko stopped once Inuyasha interrupted her with his weak, defeated tone of voice.

He sounded so...she didn't have a word for it at the moment and the way his silver bangs fell over his most likely miserable golden eyes because of his very recent problems only added to the effect. She felt awful for having to give the truth to one so young, so wild of heart. To see him tame himself, question his sanity, she never wished to be a gypsy, but as fate and irony would have it, here she was.

"You cant what, young one?"

Inuyasha bit his lip and gripped his head with both hands, wishing that he could claw at it just to make the damn voice in his head stop. It wasn't his own damnit, gods it wasn't his own! He just wanted it to stop, he'd do anything to make it stop! How could he go on like this? How do people expect him to go on trying to act as if everything's normal if there's someone else's fucking voice in his head?!

"Gods, I just cant! I could hear him, he wants me to get this jewel so fucking badly that I cant just give it up! If it's going to make him stop then to hell with my life, I cant go on trying to figure out if I'm crazy or not, hag! I **cant!"**

**"**You are not crazy, hanyou. You are special, you are brave-"

"THE** HELL **I AM!"

"-strong, you are caring-"

"SHUT THE **FUCK** UP! I AM **NOTHING!"**

**"Enough of this!"** Inuyasha panted heavily, trying to control his sudden exasperation, and bared his fangs at the old fortune teller, but stopped nonetheless. Madame Kyoko frowned tightly and glared at Inuyasha out of the corners of her eyes. He could tell that she was not happy with his statements, but why was she acting like his grandmother for crying out loud?

Hearing her words of wisdom just made him sick...

Maybe because he knew they were right...

"Do not blame yourself for this. It is not your fault that you were the chosen. You can do this, you can do anything if you set your mind to it. I am no one to stop you from getting to the jewel but heed my words, you will get no where if you start to hate yourself. Understand hanyou or do you need more refinement?" Inuyasha jerked his head away abruptly and made a move to stand up but the fortune teller's old, aging hands stopped him from leaving.

"I am no one to stop you from doing as you wish, but remember this hanyou. One will feed and feed until there is little and when he has companions there will be no more. Do not become the one being fed on, nor become the one feeding. If you get this jewel, and only if, you will become the next gate keeper of Hell. The one who protects the Shikon no Tama is the gate keeper of Heaven, do you understand the contradiction?" Inuyasha only stared at her with blank golden eyes but nodded after a while in slight understanding.

Madame Kyoko only smiled to herself, she knew he was still trying to grasp that fact. "If you ever need me again, hanyou, you can find me in the village of gypsies to the north after today's festival."

Inuyasha kehed and didn't reply otherwise as he exited the hut. He couldn't stand that old hag any longer with her speaking in riddles and knowing every exact detail of his life.

What the hell did she know anyways?! Only the things she sees. She knows nothing about him, nothing at all. She doesn't understand, and no one will ever understand this pain. Why cant anyone understand that slowly, ever so slowly, he was becoming someone else? Someone he wasn't, someone he has grown to hate now ever so much?!

Why cant they see his pain?

Is this what he received for believing that he didn't need anyone throughout his whole life? For shunning everyone who tried to help, everyone who tried to ease his pain? And now, how can the fates be so cruel to **him?! **Only to **him?! **Why not someone else, why not some fucking **full** demon! **Why** not Sesshoumaru?!

Why _him?_

**-XxX-**

It took a while for Inuyasha to find the rest of his comrads, but when he did he was semi shocked to see them gathered around with other villagers, especially snot nosed children, watching...a puppet show. It couldn't be a normal Kabuku, it just _had_ to be a puppet show. Of all the things that were degrading in the world--dear lord a puppet show!

_Is it that no one knows how or** when **to grow up?! _Inuyasha thought, rolling his golden eyes. He sighed heavily and walked over to an empty space next to Kagome on the dirt ground she was sitting on with Shippo on her lap, both very engrossed in the puppet show. He wouldn't put it past Kagome, the girl was still in her own little world of innocense even at her age of eighteen.

The moment he plopped down on the ground next to her, Kagome turned her head to get a look at the person who had disrupted her concentration on the puppet show to see the man of her dreams, unknown to him of course, Inuyasha. He looked very...bored, the way his eyes were half open and just the manner of his slumped posture, though that wasn't very unusual, and he looked just about ready to die as well.

She had to stifle a giggle at his everyday antics before shaking her head and smiling warmly at her hanyou companion. "Why, hello Inuyasha! Back so soon?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, looking away from Kagome's very well amused chocolate brown eyes. "Keh, whatever wench. I'm done now so let's get moving."

"Well, we were waiting for you ya know."

"Exactly, so let's go **now**."

"But **now**_we're _not done yet..." Inuyasha abruptly threw his arms up in the air, an assured gesture of complete exasperation, not believing for one second what Kagome was implying.

She couldn't do this to him...

"Oh no...there is now way in **hell** that I'm going to sit here and watch some god damn puppet show for fuck knows how long!"

Shippo, still perched on Kagome's lap, glared at Inuyasha out of the corners of his green eyes and huffed, looking much like Inuyasha when he was annoyed with his arms corssed and all. "Just be quiet you big jerk and watch the show, oh and watch it there _are_ little kids here."

"Why you little..." A vein popped on Inuyasha's forehead as he tried to control his raging temper as so not to hit Shippo infront of people, actually he didn't care about that...but it wasn't working because ever so quickly his fist was raising and raising. That was until Kagome threatened to sit him if he didn't behave.

So Inuyasha couldn't believe that he was forced to watch a puppet show. And it was about a human princess falling in love with a demon lord. Those damn puppets couldn't make his life any worse now could they? All they needed to do now was add more characters, like a hanyou child, to make it seem like his own with a bastard of a good for nothing brother and a hell lot of big, fat, ugly lesser demons to complete his story.

And that was only his early childhood.

_This is stupid. What the hell are these puppet shows supposed to be showing kids anyways? That it's ok to fall in love and run away with demons? Sure their parents would be _thrilled _of that._ Inuyasha had to snicker at the thought. Watch right after the puppet show a little kid run up to her mother and say, Mama can I fall in love with a demon and run away from home? _That would brighten up my already black day..._

Black...he could name a couple of things that was black...

He stopped his track of mind. No need to remind himself of anything that had happened in the past few days. Everything was going to go back to normal, he was going to help find the rest of shards, protect Kagome, and...what else was there?

Nah, nothing important.

Finally, after another agonizing half hour spent with twitching, cursing, ranting, ignoring, threatening, fidgeting, and anything else that could go on when Inuyasha was forced to be stationery for more than five minutes, the puppet show was over. And Inuyasha was **thrilled** to know that it in fact ended with the princess and demon lord actually eloping together and starting a family.

It made him sick.

Well...at least one kid did ask the big question to her mother...

**-XxX-**

It only took a day and a half to finally reach Kaede's village, the village they all loved and knew that they always had a place in. As long as Kaede and the well were there. But the day and a half to get there was more than just unpleasant. It was a day and a half filled with tense silence.

The group knew that Inuyasha was trying to act as if everything was ok and normal but it wasn't work one bit. Instead of going at him and trying to find out what was wrong with him by force like they had planned a few days ago, the group decided to only watch and let him figure it out on his own.

Not a really good idea, especially to Kagome, but what else was there that they could do? Using brute force would only lessen the already little trust Inuyasha might have held for them, and the group didn't want to have to restablish that loss. And the gods know how hard it was for them to recieve that trust from one that had been betrayed and hated by countless of people in his lifetime.

They would have celebrated if they could.

Now everyone was more or less busy in the village. Inuyasha had not declared anything about going off again to find more jewel shards, or go to Madame Kyoko's again for the matter, which led to the group...enjoying their free time. And they couldn't really enjoy it because of Inuyasha's still strange behavior, so they busied themsleves to get it off their minds at least one moment in the day.

Well, Miroku took the liberty of helping out the village men build some new huts for the growing population of the village, for once doing his work and not flirting with the women. The village men were gracious for the help, and the violet eyed monk had been helping ever since he arrived at the village. Sango and Kagome busied themselves by helping Kaede tend to the sick, which included gathering special herbs and being of any assisstance. It was hard trying to find some of the herbs since they all looked so similar, but since two were better than one, Kagome and Sango made a great team.

And as for Shippo and Kirara, they played it cool by staying in Kaede's hut just relaxing.

But Inuyasha...he was another case.

His nights had gone restless. He refused, absolutely refused to go to sleep. Kagome at first had thought that it was a matter of his personal safety and shrugged it off, but she didn't know it went beyond that. Inuyasha was more or less protecting himself...from himself. The nights that he did fall asleep, involuntarily of course, ended with him waking up in shock, cold sweat pouring off of him in waves. So he just gave it up entirely and rested here and there, but did **not** dare fall asleep.

Even if it meant throwing himself into a cold river, slapping himself awake, provoking Kagome until she sat him, he did not allow himself to sleep. Yet, no one noticed what he had been doing. Of course, how could they if he practically isolated himself from them? Inuyasha only resided in the Goshinboku, occassionally Kagome stopped by to give him some ramen but he had been refusing that too lately. Actually, he couldn't quite remember the last time he had eaten a decent meal. The morning of the day of the festival that was already a complete week ago?

He didn't remember but he didn't care.

_Little bits a fish will suffice for now I guess. Besides, I'm not some weak human, I've gone days without eating before. _

Or that's what he liked to tell himself.

Why had he suddenly given up eating, especially his delicious ramen noodles? Because he lost his appetite. Someone, or something he didn't know what to call it, made him loose his appetite. He didn't really know why, but everytime he looked at food now a days his stomach churned threateningly, and bile raised high enough in his throat for him to immedaitely seek a green bush to puke behind on. Maybe it was because he was too stressed to even process the word food.

Could be...

Damn, he really had to get to that damn jewel before he drove himself crazy...

When he did fall asleep, well two days ago, Dark only bombarded him with feroscious demands of getting the jewel. Nothing else was spoken of except for the damn Jewel of Trepidation. He didn't even know that the jewel had even existed before he had told him about it a week ago, but Inuyasha didn't really have a choice in the matter anyways. He needed that jewel or he will dubb himself insane for the rest of his life.

Gods, was it too late for him to commit seppuku?

_No, not with what I've been doing lately..._ Inuyasha thought, his calm expression growing sad and for some reason guilty. His silvery white puppy ears visibly drooped ontop of his head and his eyes were casted downwards, preferring to be fixed on the green grassy grounds under the Goshinboku. Why would he feel guilty? Who knew, his mind was pretty messed up.

But he couldn't blame his state of mind with what he had been doing lately. He noticed that everytime that the pressure became too much, the voice in his head that wasn't his own became too loud, inflicting pain on himself made it all go away. His pain made _him_ hurt no matter how much _he_ told him that he could take it, but it worked didn't it? He had been able to get through the day without hearing _his_ damn smooth voice cut through his thoughts.

Yet, just thinking about what he did to himself sickened him.

He never thought that he was capable to go through such lengths...

**A/N: oooh what's Inuyasha doing? You will now soon...but not right now. Hahaha! But its pretty obvious dont you think?**

**Osore- **_Horror, terror, etc._

**Shikon no Tama- **_Jewel of four souls; Sacred Jewel_

**Osore no Tama- **_Jewel of Horror; Jewel of Terror_

**seppuku- **_the japanese honorary style of comitting suicide with honor, usually pertained to japanese samurai and men with pride. Also, since the Japanese highly valued honor, when they were defeated in battle and the man wanted to feel his honor, he would committ seppuku_


	4. Dark's Attack

**Darkness Within 4**

Another week passed and there was still no progress from Inuyasha. The group was starting to worry about him more and more each day. Heck, Inuyasha didn't even mention chasing after jewel shards or anything for the whole week! There was definately something going on with him, but all the group had to do was find out what.

Miroku had talked to Inuyasha in private about what was going on. Inuyasha hardly talked back, but revealed something alarming. Or at least to Miroku. It was something about nightmares, and while he said this the young hanyou had been rubbing the sleep out of his long since tired eyes.

_(Flashback...)_

_It was a dark night in the Feudal Era and Miroku and Inuyasha sat alone in Kaede's hut, waiting for the girls and Shippo to come back from bathing in the tub that the villagers had provided for them. The only thing luminating the main room of the hut was the ongoing flickering of the small fire in the center of the wooden floor, which also sat between the two men. Inuyasha stared at the red orange glow of the flame, while Miroku observed him out of the corners of his eyes. _

_"Inuyasha..." The hanyou in question looked up, the bags under his golden eyes highly noticable with the reflecting flame. _

_"What?" Inuyahsa replied gruffly, not helping the yawn that followed afterwards and the slight droop of his eyes. But he suddenly jerked himself awake, using his knuckles to rub the sleep away from his eyes. Miroku only watched his actions with observing violet eyes._

_"Are you alright?" There was thick silence as Inuyasha contemplated his answer and Miroku waited patiently. But there was no answer and Miroku sighed, staring at the hanyou straight in the eye._

_"Inuyasha, listen. You cannot lie to me and say that you're fine, alright? I know something's not right, and while the other's may not notice, I do. You are constantly yawning, waking yourself up, rubbing your eyes--whatever it is, Inuyasha, you can tell me and I'll find a way to help you." _

_"You cant." Miroku's dark eye brows furrowed at the weak statement coming from the silver haired hanyou across from him, and he concentrated on what else he was going to say. He really hadn't expected for the hanyou to say anything at all._

_"Why cant I?" _

_Inuyasha growled and slammed his fist onto the dark brown wood beneath him angrily...and with defeat. "You cant because...you cant stop nightmares, got it? All that's wrong with me are reoccuring nightmares, nothing big to worry about."_

_"It is big when they stop you from sleeping everyday, you cant expect to go on like this. Talking about them always help, and you always have someone to listen, whether it be me, Sango, Kagome, Kaede, even Shippo would as well. Understand?"_

_"Keh, just shut up, ok monk? I know that, but these nightmares aren't like regular ones. They cant be helped in any way, so just drop it. And dont tell anyone about them, or I swear I'll hang your head on a torch outside." Miroku eyed Inuyasha warily, but sighed and promised. Inuyasha only yawned again, staring at the flame with tiresome eyes._

_(End Flashback...)_

The following days of not resting did not go unnoticed by the dark haired monk, but he didn't know if he should tell the others or not. It was something that Inuyasha had confided in him, and the last thing he wanted to do was to betray that trust.

Yet...it was either Inuyasha's health or his trust...

The following morning, however, Inuyasha's behavior very well shocked the group into a stupor. For the passed two weeks Inuyasha had been moping, dragging himself to places, not eating, not active, but that morning the hanyou was completely back to normal! No one knew what had happened over the course of the night, but whatever it was they were thankful for it. Now they didn't have to go to sleep worrying if Inuyasha was doing the same.

But...Inuyasha then claimed to have to go somewhere, completely alone, and that dampened their once bright moods.

"Where to, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she sat down on Kaede's wooden floor. Inuyasha was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, and it made Kagome want to smile. His usual arrogant pose, oh how she had missed that pose over the course of two weeks...

"Keh, none of your damn business, wench. I'll be back in two weeks tops." Inuyasha said casually, as if it were every two weeks that he left for a two week long journey by himself. The rest of the group stared at him incredulously, their stark blank faces only receiving a glare and a grumbled what.

Sango was the first who stumbled out of her stupor and fixed Inuyasha with a knowing gaze. "Inuyasha, we're your friends, if it involves you then it _is_ our business. The same goes for us. If Kagome left for a two week journey all by herself, wouldn't you want to know where she was going and if she was going to be alright?"

Inuyasha kehed and waved her off. "Oh give me a break, that's way different. For starters, I wouldn't let Kagome out of my sight. Second, Kagome doesn't ever need to go on a two week journey. And third, Kagome doesn't have a Tetsusaiga now does she?"

"Are you saying that I cant protect myself and that I dont ever need to go on lengthy journeys?" Kagome asked, but Inuyasha didn't notice the edge in her voice, or as a matter of fact in her eyes.

Inuyasha only kehed again and smirked smuggly. "See, you got it, wench."

"Inuyasha..." The hanyou in question looked up to practically see lightening around Kagome's dark, eerie glare. He was about to apologize, but it wasn't coming out right with his excessive spluttering, yet it was too late anyways. "...sit boy."

Inuyasha instantly met face to face with the dirt ground part of Kaede's flooring, and he couldn't help but to shoot a few curses at a certain miko who sat calmly a few ways away from him. Wow, he hadn't been sat in the longest time. Maybe one week in its fullest.

"Damnit wench! Cant you take a fucking joke?!" Inuyasha exclaimed once the spell wore off.

The corners of Kagome's mouth twitched upwards but she shook her head in the most dignified matter that she could. But it didn't work one bit. With Inuyasha's adorable but twitching maddly dog ears, his angry, slighlty red face from the hard impact, and his molten gaze practically glowing with _supposed_ fury, Kagome's dam broke and she started laughing like a lunatic.

Soon, everyone saw what was so funny and joined in with her, all excpet for Inuyasha, who didn't quite understand what was going on. He looked at them with his cute face of confusion, head tilted and all, which only sent them into another round of adamant laughing. He was growing angry again, and baring his fangs made them laugh even more!

"What the hell is** wrong **with you people?! Shut **up** already!"

No one listened to him, if he didn't think any better they probably laughed even harder. Inuyasha growled and was very close to just stomping away to wherever he needed to go to just to spite them. Gods, them laughing like wild hyenas was just a waste of air.

Inuyasha was about to leave and go sulk somewhere when all of a sudden the all too familiar and dreaded voice appeared once more in his head. It made him stop completely, and his eyes widened a fraction. He hadn't heard _his_ voice in a very long while, that was why he was pretty much back to normal today. But now...he couldn't help but to feel that his good mood was slipping away...even more so with what _he_ said...

_**Make them shut up**...**dont let them make fun of you in such a degrading manner**...**punish them**... _Inuyasha grit his teeth and held his head in a way that implied a huge miagrane was coming on. And it would if he didn't do something soon.

But the voice just kept going on and on and on...

_**You are the leader of this pack so act like it**...**show them their places beneath you**...**show them who is the dominant**...**show them what you are capable of**...**show them who is the real Inuyasha**..._

What was he implying? That he hurt his friends?! Was this Dark person going crazy?! He would never do that...never...right?

_Shut up yourself... _His resolve was slipping away, and quickly at that. The laughter of his friends still echoed in his mind, and no doubt that the other occupying it was hearing the noise as well. His friends had laughed at him before, so it wasn't a big problem, was it? It hadn't bothered him that much because he knew that they weren't really making fun of him...correct?

_**They are**...**cant you hear them? Stop being so naive and narrow minded! You cannot let anyone step all over you like they do**...**be the leader that you are**...**be the Inuyasha you once were**...**make them beg for mercy**..._

The voice was right...he had changed...how could he let anyone change him? How weak _was_ he?

_**Yes**...**show them**..._

_No... _He refused to give in. He refused to give in to anyone! But...didn't he deliberately give himself to Kagome? She didn't know of course, but he did...

"Shut up..."

No one heard him, not one of his both targeted audiences. The voice kept going on about how to make them stop laughing at him, and the others were too lost in their own merriment to notice. The noise was too loud, he needed peace and quiet, he needed air, he needed to leave...

"Just shut up...please dammit..." He was growing desperate because he didn't know how much more he could take of this mental abuse.

Inuyasha didn't know what to make of his mental state. Was he going insane? If only his mother could see him now, her insane son telling, even begging himself to shut up...

**"**Shut the fuck **UP!!" **

Everyone stopped their continuous laughing to stare at the hanyou who was gripping his head with both hands as if he had a serious headache. Inuyasha was also semi shaking, but of what the others didn't know. Then the ugly guilt crept up their spines. Was he yelling at _them_ to shut up? Of course he was, they took it too far this time...

"Inuyasha-" Kagome raised her hand semi perpendicular with her shoulder while adressing the silver haired hanyou, but the moment she had said his name Inuyasha bounded out of Kaede's hut. Kagome, alarmed by this, immediately stood up and followed him to wherever she thought he would be.

The Goshinboku?

Hopefully.

The others stayed in the hut, leaving Kagome to find Inuyasha on her own. They were too caught up in their own thoughts to notice anything else. What had irked Inuyasha so baddly to make him react the way he did? Had it really been them? It had never seemed to bother Inuyasha that much when they laughed everytime Kagome sat him. Maybe it really did bother him to a point where he just couldn't take it anymore...

But, they hadn't really been laughing _at _him, they were just laughing because the moment seemed like a deja vu, and all the tense silence that had clouded over their past two weeks had been momentarily gone. They were relieved that finally something was getting back to normal, and they were happy about it. Yet, Inuyasha hadn't known. How could he have known with their adamant laughter?

With that shared thought the guilt only crept up higher...

"Let's just hope that Kagome could get to him..."

Sango and Shippo didn't feel at all comforted by Miroku's statement. Not even the one who said it himself. Inuyasha...was truly not himself anymore. Something was very wrong with him, and what were they doing? Nothing. Just making it worse for the poor hanyou to bear. What kind of friends were they?

The kind that were too blind to see that there was something wrong with their friend.

Something very wrong.

**-XxX-**

Why was it suddenly so dark? When had it even _gone_ dark? The last thing he knew it was morning, not night time. Everything around him was black and he felt like he was loosing himself in the dark color. It appeared to be an endless void that had no floor nor any ceiling. But he wasn't falling.

So where in the seven hells was he?

"In the dark shallows of your mind..."

Inuyasha turned around, still sitting on the equally midnight shaded "floor", quicker than the speed of a cheetah to the clear voice that spoke to him. The same unctuous voice that he said to himself over and over again how much he hated. And there he was, Mr. All Mighty Mind Invader, Darkness. He could feel Dark's intangible youki draining his strength again, and it unexpectedly became harder to move his legs...

What did Dark mean by the dark shallows of his mind? How did...? All these unanswered questions confused Inuyasha. He didn't know what had happened to him, he didn't know where the hell he was, he didn't know why the hell he was here, and gods was it ever so annoying just being enclosed by all black for more than five minutes!

Were the shallows of his mind really this boring and...black?

"What am I doing here?!" Inuyasha shouted authoritively at Dark, who only sat himself uncerimonially infront of him, his golden amber eyes burning into his very soul. He couldn't help it but Inuyasha leaned back just a little once he felt that the proximity between them was too narrow.

Dark only narrowed his eyes and smirked malisciously before sitting back on his bare, calloused heels. "You were upset. You felt burdened, pressured, tyrannized; need I say more? You're here because you reverted. Remember what the fortune teller said, Inuyasha, I attack on the times that you are weak, be it physically or emotionally. And while you're busy hurting, I'm coming out to play."

Inuyasha snarled and tried to scramble away from the demon infront of him, but Dark was too swift, grabbing him by his throat _again_ before Inuyasha could actually make a move to go anywhere. No matter how hard he tried to struggle, which wasn't much since that damned youki had once again drugged him, Dark still had a firm hold on him and wouldn't be letting go anytime soon.

Why, why was it always his poor throat?

"W-what do you mean by that, dammit!" Even though his neck was being painfully constricted by the second time _and_ by the same person, Inuyasha still managed to voice semi coherent words. But it still didn't help that he could feel Dark's claws prickling the sensitive skin on his neck, drawing small rivulets of thick, dark red blood.

The demon rolled his eyes in slight animosity, that guileful glint in them never wavering. "It means, whelp, that you are going to stay here, where I reside, while I take over you're body. Simple enough or do you want it in puppy language?"

Inuyasha ignored that last part of Dark's shrewd statement, and his eyes widened considerably at the general callous allegation. He tried harder to break away from him, but it only earned him a ridiculing laugh, and he was unfortunately pulled closer to Dark than he was before. They were almost nose to nose, and Inuyasha couldn't help but jerk his head slightly away from the glare of the rich golden honey eyes trying pierce through him.

Dark suddenly smiled menacingly while trailing a sharply clawed finger down Inuyasha's flushed-from-anger cheek sensuously. "There, there, Inuyasha, I promise not to hurt anyone, especially little Kagome who I know followed after you. Just lend me your body for a few moments, and you wont even feel a thing either..."

Inuyasha was going to retort in a canning manner at that, but the next thing he knew Dark rammed his hand into his chest, specifically into his heart. The pain was unbearable, shocking him completely into a painful daze and one that unabled him to cry out. White hot flashes of arrant pain raced through his veins, his head felt like someone had imbedded their jagged dagger into it, his demon blood threatened to overflow...and then there was nothing more.

Only numbness.

He was confused. One second he was about to cry out in sheer pain, and the next he felt like he was an empty shell with no emotions, but there was also no Dark in sight. What had happened, Inuyasha didn't know, but he had a feeling that what Dark said was true...

And he hadn't been kidding about the whole not feeling a thing part...

"T-that...that **bastard!"**

Dark had stolen his body...

**-XxX-**

Kagome tried to follow Inuyasha, and she soon found herself at the Goshinboku. She had a feeling that he was going to be there, and her feet guided her to the old tree. Thank the gods that her feelings were almost always true, because there he was, kneeling over a tree. What was he doing? He hadn't noticed her presence yet, so Kagome slowly walked towards his bent over figure, careful not to scare him like she had done the last time she crept up on him.

But suddenly there was that feeling again. This time it was a bad feeling. And everyone knew that when Kagome had a bad feeling it was_ always _right. Why didn't the good out weigh the bad? Who knew, but this new bad feeling was centered around Inuyasha. It confused the raven haired miko, and she had to shrug off her feeling in order to actually reach her hanyou companion.

However, before Kagome could actually reach Inuyasha's figure, he stood from the base of the tree, straightening his back, but still not awknowledging her presence. He then stared at his razor sharp claws and flexed them, confusing Kagome to no end. Why did it seem like he was examining his claws as if he were making sure they were sharp enough to piecre through the thick coat of a wild bear demon?

Her bad feeling escalated...

"Why is it that annoying wenches like you never leave poor people like me the hell alone?" His callous voice startled her, to say the least, and Kagome stopped her trek towards Inuyasha.

He slowly turned around and came face to face with her, and his eyes were the things that made her think the most. She knew that they weren't his. Inuyasha's eyes were a vibrant, magnificent golden amber always filled with life, but these were a smooth golden honey with iced edges, a tad bit like Sesshoumaru's eyes.

And then there was that emptyness in them. It was easy to tell how Inuyasha was feeling through his eyes because no matter what, his emotions were always seen through them, yet these eyes were an endless abyss with no emotional reflection what so ever.

This wasn't Inuyasha...

"Y...you're not Inuyasha...who are you and what have you done with him?!" Kagome took a step back and reached behind her to grab an arrow from her quiver, but then she remembered with a sinking heart that she had left it at Kaede's hut.

The Inuyasha look alike chuckled without mirth, much more with something akin to malice, a chuckle that sent an ice cold shiver running up Kagome's spine. He completely turned around and took a few steps towards Kagome while she took a few back, but that was until he had backed her up onto a tree. Evading him was impossible, so the only thing Kagome could have done was just to be brave and face him straight off.

"Aren't you the smart one, wench," The look alike smirked while he caught a lock of her raven black hair between his clawed forefinger and thumb, rubbing it while spectating the natural shining blue tint, "and you're so much like her, too. Such unacceptable impudence..."

"I'm nothing like Kikyou!" Again, the look alike seemed amused by this, but this time what he let out wasn't a chuckle, it was laughter.

An evil laughter that would have put Naraku's to shame.

Kagome was thoroughly befuddled, yet he soon stopped his laughter, which also inlcuded his strange spectation of her hair color, and faced her once again. "Kikyou? The dead miko bitch that could have rivaled Sesshoumaru's rotten-stick-up-butt posture? Ha, yes, wench, you are nothing like her. And stop jumping to idiotic conclusions."

Kagome didn't know what else to expect from him, but it wasn't that. If not Kikyou, then who? She wasn't anyone else's reincarnation...right? But, then again, she had her doubts about really being Kikyou's reincarnation all along...

"Who are you? Where is Inuyasha?" Being confused had its toll on Kagome so she went back with her first question. She had had enough of this creepy Inuyasha look alike, and she wanted her old Inuyasha back.

"Well, I dont know, Kagome? If I speak like Inuyasha, I look like Inuyasha, and I act like Inuyasha, _-gasp- _I must be Inuyasha then!"

"You're _not_ him and I'll prove it!" Kagome argued back, poking him in the chest for good measure. Kagome soon stopped her tirade once she noticed exactly what she was doing and gulped, afraid to look up into "Inuyasha's" probably smug expression. The two of them looked down at the slender finger still poised on "Inuyasha's" chest, Kagome with a slightly nervous look while the Inuyasha poser held a devishly amused look.

The "hanyou" raised one corner of his mouth in a wide smirk, showing off one of his pearly white fangs that seemed to gleam, adding to the evil look in his eye's that had Kagome itching to run away. He moved his head in a little closer, narrowing the gap between Kagome just like he had done with Inuyasha moments before. The miko could only leaned back against the rough dark brown tree as much as she could.

Especially when he whispered softly in a way that had the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck standing, alert to the oncoming danger. "Oh? And tell me, how would you do that?"

Kagome sucked in a breath and yelled, **"Sit!" **

At first, she had expected that the Inuyasha look alike would have just stood there, staring at her with a slightly wide eyes, bearing the look of a deer caught in bright head lights. But, adding much more to her already long list of daily confusions, he slammed to the ground, making a familiar Inuyasha shaped crater in the grassy ground. After five seconds, "Inuyasha" stood up calmly, looking all the more smug, and stood infront of Kagome once more, daring her to say that he wasn't who she denied he was.

"So, anymore _tests?"_ Kagome couldn't form any coherent words, and "Inuyasha" smirked in victory. The only person that could be sat by Kagome and the only one that the beads would work for was Inuyasha because the spell on it was tied to his soul, and this Inuyasha look alike had just slammed into the ground!

If this was Inuyasha, then what the heck was wrong with him?! Why was he acting this way, so evilly passionate? His eyes looked different, his whole attitude was different, what had happened to the hanyou she had well known and loved?!

She could have ran away when she had the chance, or she could have just sat him again, but she was frozen in place. She didn't know why, but something about Inuyasha's aurora didn't allow her to move. She kind of felt sluggish, actually. Her limbs protested achingly when she tried to raise them, her legs refused to work when she tried to run away from the danger she knew that was bound to come, Kagome could even feel her body begin to slump against the tree behind her. Heck, if it weren't for that tree she would have already been on the ground.

"Good, because you know what, wench? I dont like what you did to me back in Kaede's hut. And I think you need a little...punishment..."

Kagome didn't know what that meant, but she didn't have time to think about it when "Inuyasha" raised his arm up, flexing his sharp claws and poising them at her. She was shocked, Inuyasha had never raised her claws at her except for the time in Kaguya's castle and when he had first met her, but could she really count those times?

Could she even count this time?

Kagome was so shocked that she didn't move from her spot backed on a tall, healthy tree, because of course she still felt awfully sluggish. But she mentally cheered to herself when she heard the well known battle cry of Sango before Inuyasha could actually swipe his deadly sharp claws at her. Immediately afterwards, a large bommerang sped through a group of trees and intended to cut through the little space between Inuyasha and Kagome.

However, it seemed as if it didn't faze Inuyasha one bit since he only faced its oncoming direction with a piercing glare. The Hirakotsu sped towards him, and once it actually reached him, Inuyasha held out his haori enclosed arm, and a without making any more sudden movements, defelcted the large boomerang.

But Kagome noticed that when Inuyasha delfected it, his demonic aurora grew ten fold, like as if he manipulated his youki in order to protect himself. Even now she could feel the energy of the youki cackling around him, and that was when she realized its color.

Inuyasha's normal youki should have been a bright, flowing red, however this one that surrounded him now was black with a few specks of blood red swirling in with the black on the odd time. Much like how the crystal ball had turned back with Madame Kyoko right before only black was the only color visible.

Yet, Kagome looked at him and the weapon in a state of awe, since no one without a proper shield had ever deflected the Hirakotsu in that manner, not even the Inuyasha she had well known and probably still loved even if he was presently gone mentally evil.

Today was really not her day of understanding things.

Sango and Miroku appeared coming out of the grove of trees, and positioned themselves infront of Kagome, forming a human barrier against Inuyasha. The said half demon had jumped back a good few feet away from the shock still Kagome after Miroku and Sango made their "heroic" entrance and only stared at them with a hostily firm expression.

Miroku gripped the mahogany wood of his monk's staff tightly infront of him, fleetingly missing his wind tunnel to make his threats all the more menacing. Especially when Inuyasha only glared at the new intruders in a way that had them all flinch involuntarily.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the people who call themselves my _friends_. Welcome to the festivities. Today, we are celebrating my awakening."

**A/N: Was it right to end it here? HAHA!**


	5. Conscious

**A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Not the best chapter, but hey, I updated right? Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THIS FIC AND ANY OTHER I POSTED EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO!**

**Darkness Within 5**

_...recap..._

Kagome was so shocked that she didn't move from her spot backed on a tall, healthy tree, because of course she still felt awfully sluggish. But she mentally cheered to herself when she heard the well known battle cry of Sango before Inuyasha could actually swipe his deadly sharp claws at her. Immediately afterwards, a large bommerang sped through a group of trees and intended to cut through the little space between Inuyasha and Kagome.

However, it seemed as if it didn't faze Inuyasha one bit since he only faced its oncoming direction with a piercing glare. The Hirakotsu sped towards him, and once it actually reached him, Inuyasha held out his haori enclosed arm, and a without making any more sudden movements, defelcted the large boomerang.

But Kagome noticed that when Inuyasha delfected it, his demonic aurora grew ten fold, like as if he manipulated his youki in order to protect himself. Even now she could feel the energy of the youki cackling around him, and that was when she realized its color.

Inuyasha's normal youki should have been a bright, flowing red, however this one that surrounded him now was black with a few specks of blood red swirling in with the black on the odd time. Much like how the crystal ball had turned back with Madame Kyoko right before only black was the only color visible.

Yet, Kagome looked at him and the weapon in a state of awe, since no one without a proper shield had ever deflected the Hirakotsu in that manner, not even the Inuyasha she had well known and probably still loved even if he was presently gone mentally evil.

Today was really not her day of understanding things.

Sango and Miroku appeared coming out of the grove of trees, and positioned themselves in front of Kagome, forming a human barrier against Inuyasha. The said half demon had jumped back a good few feet away from the shock still Kagome after Miroku and Sango made their "heroic" entrance and only stared at them with a hostily firm expression.

Miroku gripped the mahogany wood of his monk's staff tightly in front of him, fleetingly missing his wind tunnel to make his threats all the more menacing. Especially when Inuyasha only glared at the new intruders in a way that had them all flinch involuntarily.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the people who call themselves my _friends_. Welcome to the festivities. Today, we are celebrating my awakening."

_...end recap..._

"Awakening? What awakening?" Miroku demanded, grimacing at his hanyou "friend". He didn't know what had happened to him, but it didn't take a genius to know that he was possessed by something. _If only I could get a sutra on him..._

Inuyasha scoffed, and slowly, a cynical grin started to form on his lips. "Right, I didn't tell you guys. Ok, remember that old hag, Kyoshi or whatever?" He paused, but he really wasn't waiting for an affirmative. "Yeah, she told me what I had to do in life! It was amazing, to say the least, she told me that it was my destiny to kill you, Kagome. And you two, Miroku, Sango, will go down with her."

Kagome gasped from behind Miroku and Sango, moving her hand up to cover her gaping mouth. She couldn't believe her ears. He must have been possessed; Inuyasha would never even think about killing her, not after all that they've been through! Not after all the affection she'd given him...

_How can I bring him back? How can I, I dont even know what's wrong with him! _

"Inuyasha listen to yourself! Talking about killing Kagome? This isn't like--" Sango was interrupted by Inuyasha's maniacal laughter, and the dark haired woman could only wince. Inuyasha looked very frightening; a very formidable foe for anyone. Even now she could sense the power he had, how it increased she didn't know, but after his little show of deflecting the Hiraikotsu she didn't believe anything less.

She _couldn't. _

"Come **on!** You say it like you actually know me! Tell me, Sango, did you know that I'm actually Prince of the Western Lands? Did you know that I have one helluva singing voice? Did you know that my favorite scents are vanilla and jasmine? I bet you your life you didn't."

There was no response from Sango. How could there be, she was stunned! Little by little the group started to realize that they really hadn't known much about Inuyasha even with their three years together after all. But one could only know so much about a person who didn't like to reveal who he really was. The silence that ensued only made Inuyasha laugh, but it just made the others tense drastically. Ever so slowly, Miroku started to reach into the folds of his monk's robes to pull out a sacred sutra, completely undetected by the amused hanyou in front of him.

Once Miroku had it out, he immediately threw it on Inuyasha, who anticipated it and let it stick to him. It did nothing, and the group was left in shock yet again. The sutra didn't even glow, there was no sign of pain on the hanyou's smirking face, heck there wasn't even any change! What the hell was wrong with Inuyasha then if he wasn't possessed?!

"God dammit, you people just **dont** get it! It** is **me! **Hello**, screaming _Inuyasha_ here! Just because I had a sudden enlightenment doesn't mean that I got possessed, geez."

There was no response, but it wasn't as if Inuyasha had expected one. His expression suddenly hardened--the group couldn't deny the fact that he resembled Sesshoumaru now--and it screamed utter solenmness. "I'm getting really tired of you people. Keh, humans, mere _humans_, trying to order **me **around? I'll show you what I can do, and I'm sure you wont enjoy it as much as I will..."

Inuyasha raised his arm again and flexed his claws, and Miroku and Sango could do nothing more than try to block an attack. Not one of the trio of humans could understand what was going on, much less do anything to impede their hanyou friend. They only hoped against everything that as fast as he had gotten _enlightened_ he would go back to normal.

At this point it would be a miracle.

And so it was when Inuyahsa suddenly stopped in mid strike and fell onto one knee in complete pain. The friends stared at him in befuddlement, even more so with the things he whispered in his agony. The silver haired hanyou was specifically holding his left wrist almost like he had a fresh, aching new cut there.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance to himself, his eyes widened so much that it went into contrast with his entire personality. "Damn t-that...how could he have figured it out?! **Damn it all!" **

"What's going on?" Kagome asked her two friends as she watched her beloved hanyou practically writhe in pain on the ground. Miroku and Sango didn't respond, moreover they only continued to spectate with growing confusion.

Right before their eyes Inuyasha was changing. Three deep red slashes appeared on his left and right arms--they became visible when he pulled up the sleeve--and all in all the sheer energy that had been present along with his youki gradually decreased. Kagome also noticed that the red specks in his aroura somehow overpowered the black, and she couldn't help but smile in relief.

_He's coming back to me...my Inuyasha is coming back... _The raven haired miko stepped around her protective friends despite their concerned protests and walked over to where Inuyasha was still kneeling on the grass covered ground. She kneeled with him and put her slender hand on his shoulder, trying to console him during his pain. His gritted teeth soon slackened, and the silver haired hanyou was now panting, attempting to gain the air that he had lost back.

While Kagome rubbed Inuyasha's back, she studied the three slashes on both of his arms. They seemed like claw marks, and she wondered if...but she hadn't seen him cut his arms, and they weren't old wounds since they were gushing out gloriously fresh crimson blood. All the events that had recently occured were incredibly baffling to the miko, and Kagome assumed the same for Miroku and Sango, who were currently kneeling beside Inuyasha as well.

"Let's take him to Kaede's hut. I dont believe he'll be moving on his own just yet," Miroku stated, observing how Inuyasha seemed to be in shock more than anything else. The former monk sighed and hoisted the hanyou up into a standing position, catching him before he staggered and fell, and with the help of his two female companions, the friends began walking towards the village.

As soon as Inuyasha recovered from his initial shock, however, he was in for one very long explanation of what had just happened...

**-XxX-**

"It was amazing, Kaede, I've never seen anyone deflect my Hiraikotsu the way he did in my entire life! I'm pretty sure it's impossible!"

"Yes, and the sheer demonic energy that had been radiating off of him was enough to even overpower Sesshoumaru's."

"I sat him and the necklace worked, and I also noticed that his aura was black when it was supposed to be red."

"Are ye certain he was not possessed?"

"Postive. I even used a sacred sutra; it did nothing to him."

"Then I do not know what to tell ye. From what ye have all told me, the only person who does know is that fortune teller, Madame Kyoko. Of course, Inuyasha most likely would not tell ye himself." There was a long pause afterwards as everyone thought about what had happened.

"But those claw marks on his arm...they just appeared out of nowhere..."

"I agree with Sango, it's just too weird! How could he suddenly have bleeding claw marks on his arm when he didn't just cut himself in front of us either! Something bad is going on..."

"Something that he is hiding. Something that Madame Kyoko told him and hadn't wanted us to hear."

Inuyasha heard the other three sitting in the hut utter words of agreement after Miroku spoke, and a thick, tense silence ensued. Of course, they hadn't known he was listening because he still seemed unconscious to them. Why? He didn't want to face a confrontation just yet. Not with what happened earlier today.

_Dammit, just when I thought he was gone, the damn bastard comes back. Why though? How the hell can I get rid of him for good?_

_'I told you, whelp, I am you and I'm not going anywhere. You just dont listen.'_

Inuyasha didn't even bother to be shocked at the smooth voice that answered his thought. _If you were me then you'd never even think about hurting my, _our_ friends._

He heard uncanny laughter. _'Sorry if I'm more authoritive than you are. I just dont like humans very much.' _The way he said it made Inuyasha wonder why. It was as if Dark had a grim past with humans that made him dislike them so much. But...despite the supressed anger he had noted, the hanyou also deciphered a deep sadness, a longing that was hidden in the indifferent tone of voice.

_Keh, could you answer one of my questions, Dark? _

_'Depends. Ask.' _

_Why do you want the Osore no Tama so badly?_

Inuyasha soon found himself back into the dark shallows of his mind and saw that Dark was again with him as well. The demon with the black markings on his face smiled ruefully while he sat deathly still, meantime Inuyasha decided to take a seat on the midnight black...ground. It felt incredibly strange being in a place that was all black--he could understand why Dark would rather take over his body than stay here.

"Dont you get it, Inuyasha?" The silver haired hanyou looked up at Dark with confused eyes when he spoke in such a soft, tender voice as one would speak to a child in.

He didn't get this demon at all. One moment he was like the reincarnate of Sesshoumaru--all cold and unemotional with a voice that betrayed almost anything. Then the next he was wise--dare he say even caring--with a demanor that screamed the trials he'd gone through in his life. Dark was mysterious, even more so than his older brother, and Inuyasha wanted to figure him out.

"Get what? All I know is that you want me to 'harness' a jewel that'll probably kill me before I can touch it." Darkness chuckled at that, and Inuyasha had to wonder why. It was true, the Jewel of Trepidation would kill him!

"What's so damn funny?! You heard Madame Kyoko, the jewel's power will kill me!"

"It wont, fool. I wouldn't ask you to harness it if I didn't think you were capable."

Inuyasha stopped, his prepared retort for whatever Dark would spew at him dying on his tongue. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Dark sighed. "You are a complete idiot."

"Hey, I dont take kindly to that attitude, asshole!"

"Whatever, dimwitted bastard." Inuyasha growled angrily, and Dark ignored him with a grim look on his handsome face. "Obviously you and that Madame Kyoko woman dont know crap about the Osore no Tama. Dammit, the Jewel of Terror, the Jewel of Trepidation--those names mean nothing! They're only titles acquired through years of misunderstanding! The Osore no Tama soley is the _Heart of Darkness_."

Inuyasha blinked, not understanding what had been slowly said to him. "I still dont get it! The Heart of Dark...ness..."

At long last the hanyou comprehended everything. It was no wonder Dark wanted that amazingly powerful jewel! The Osore no Tama...the Heart of Darkness...Dark was that same Darkness. The Jewel of Treipdation was his heart! Huh?

"B-But how...?" His head was going to burst...and he was inside his head...it was such a weird concept to understand!

"Think about Midoriko and the Shikon no Tama, that jewel is her _heart_, her _soul_. Oh wait, none of you know the true story." Dark smirked at Inuyasha, but when the hanyou looked past the malice in his golden amber eyes, he noted the sadness, the longing that had been supressed before in his voice. He felt like he was getting deeper into a black hole, and this time it wasn't because of the shallows of his mind...

"What story? She fought a lot of demons, sealed them into the Shikon no Tama along with herself, and blah blah blah. What else is there?" Inuyasha scoffed, but when Dark sighed in frustration, he knew he was wrong. _But how?! What else is there to know about her? She was a miko for godsakes! Mikos live their entire lives trying to help people and repel demons from villages!_ Or at least that was what the mikos he knew did daily...

The handsome full demon raked a clawed hand through his long, silky silver hair--much like Sesshoumaru would do occasionally--and didn't say anything until he was finished 'petting' it. Inuyasha growled at the characteristics Dark and his older half brother noticeably shared, especially one that he'd only seen Sesshoumaru do when he tried to get across the 'I'm better than you, just look at my shinier hair' message and still seem like an aristo at the same time. _Keh, if I didn't know any better, I'd think they were related. _

Finally, Dark looked at his counterpart directly in the eye and replied in a sort of tortured tone. Obviously, he was getting frustrated. "No one knows why she was even fighting the demons in the first place. Demons know not to go near powerful mikos, thence they wouldn't have dared confront Midoriko head on like that no matter how pompous they seemed. But none of that matters--_where_ the demons came from and _why_ it took so much out of her to destroy them is what counts."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Everything that came out of his mirror's mouth confused Inuyasha into oblivion. Nothing at all made sense! "Why is everyone trying to fill my head with shit that confuses me?! The Guardian of Hell crap, Osore no Tama has your soul in it, Midoriko's true story--my first priority is collecting jewel shards and now I have to do your bidding?! Fuck no!"

"Look, half-breed," Dark's expression was so chillingly calm Inuyasha actually shuddered in fleeting apprehension, "I'll gladly take over your body again just so I could get the rest of my soul back. I could care less if there were a hundred Naraku's running around all with powerful Shikon Jewels--you are going to find my jewel and harness it, so tough luck!"

"Fuck you!"

"Eat shit and die!"

"Eat shit, fuck yourself, and die already!"

"Eat shit, fuck yourself **and **Sesshoumaru, _then_ die already!"

"You **didn't** just say that, you bastard!"

"I did, you damn idiot-whore!"

"What?! Idiot-whore?! You're so stupid! I'm going to **kill **you!"

"Well, fuck that! Technically, I'm dead and I_**am **_you, remember!"

"I know, asshole! What the hell are we arguing for again?!"

"I dont know, but I love arguing over nothing!" Dark smirked and chuckled, and it was the first time Inuyasha heard him laugh with true mirth. It surprised the hanyou, so he didn't continue arguing with his elder. "Well, if you want answers, go to your brother's castle. I trust that you know where it is."

Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms. "Keh, as if he'd help me! Besides, what makes you think I even want to look at that bastard?!"

"Because, idiot," Dark gave his mirror a dry look, "I am the all-knowing Darkness and I know Sesshoumaru will have answers for you. Furthermore, you'll be closer to my heart than you think."

"What the hell does that mean?! I thought I said to stop confusing me!"

"Heh, I'll leave you to figure it out, and cry me a river, why dont ya? Poor puppy wuppy's confused, aww, let's give him a puppy wuppy biscuit! Lord knows he cant eat a doggy biscuit all by himself!" Inuyasha growled threateningly, rolling his golden eyes at the fun Dark was having teasing him. "You better head to Sesshoumaru's castle soon, puppy, I bet he's already waiting for you."

"Dont call me puppy!"

The dog demon ignored him as he stood gracefully, meanwhile Inuyasha stayed sitting since he was still rather angry, but Dark suddenly turned to him with an annoyed expression. "Oh, and could you **please** stop cutting yourself! Yes, it might hurt me and stop me from communicating with you, but hell, it does nothing to impede me from doing what I want! Well, until later, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha was about to shout at Dark to wait a minute, but the demon started walking to who knows where, and soon everything started dissolving around him. The floor fell and so did he along with it, yet after a few moments he found himself back in his right mind. The sensation was alien to him, switching to one part of his mind to another in such a quick speed--it momentarily made the hanyou feel sick. However, now the part of the day he didn't want to face arrived before him.

A confrontation between his friends about Darkness. _Great, I hope they'll understand it better than I did. _

And with that, Inuyasha opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Kagome.

**-XxX-**

Sesshoumaru stared at the painting before him in something akin to shock. One who would look at him wouldn't think that he was showing any emotion at all, but those few who actually knew him and took the time needed to analyze his features would note that his eyes were wider than usual. Why was that? Why would such a simple painting cause _him_ of all people to be shocked?

It was a family portrait of one of the greatest dog demon generals to have lived in the castle he currently inhabited. A beautiful, almost vivacious painting that could catch anyone's eye, and that was how Sesshoumaru had come to see it. He'd only been touring his new home, since the silver haired demon had finally decided to leave the nomadic lifestyle and settle into his role as a Dog General, and had unwittingly came across the hall way apparently reserved for familial portraits.

Then he took the time to look at the portrait of his family--his mother and father were both with him as a young pup in it--and then this painting came into sight before another one of his grandfather and his family.

_I cant believe it. So Inuyasha didn't inherit his physical looks from his mother after all. Interesting, _Sesshoumaru thought, allowing his lips to curve into a small smirk.

The painting beheld four dog demons all dressed in regal clothing: a proud silver haired lord with twinkling golden amber eyes that were prominent in Sesshoumaru's family, his eloquent lady who had a slightly darker shade of silver hair and mesmerizing honey eyes, and their two male children who shared their father's brilliant hair color and vibrant eyes. The two boys looked to be young, not even in their prime, and each had their clawed hand resting on the shoulder of one of their parents. Their parents were both smiling, sitting on two identical cushioned chairs Sesshoumaru had seen in one of the castle's many sitting rooms.

They were his great-grandfather, great-grandmother, grandfather, and granduncle.

But it was his granduncle that had shocked him. The dog demon, who looked to have been exactly Inuyasha's current age when the painting was taken, seemed to be an precise mirror of his younger brother. Of course, he was not a half-demon with dog ears, but if Sesshoumaru erased the markings on his face, it would be _Inuyasha_ standing behind his great-grandfather.

_Yet, why were his markings black? Neither parent had such colors, and I've never seen anything like it. _

It was true, his granduncle had pitch black markings on his face, and Sesshoumaru could see the tips of more black on his wrists. It was a strange, if not an original occurance to have such colored markings. And why did it look like his great-grandfather was tense at having his son touch his shoulder? The devious smirk that the whelp held on his face told it all; he purposely wanted to frightened his father.

The dog demon then looked at the gold label written under the painting and read the names carved on it aloud to himself. "Ruler of the Western Lands, Lord Shintaku, his mate, Lady Dariya, and their heirs, Prince Kurayami and Prince Akita. Hmm..."

_This is a very peculiar painting. Although it may be azoic, I can see the tension between them, the apprehension in my great-grandfather's eyes. What could it mean? _His family was a mystery as of yet, but Sesshoumaru wouldn't rest until he solved it. Every once in a while the dog demon felt Tenseiga rattling against his hip, and he had to put his hand on it to calm the fang. Obviously, the sword's rattling could only mean one thing.

"Inuyasha is on his way here. For what, I could only guess." Without a second glance at the painting, Sesshoumaru stalked out of the hall he was in and into his castle's library.

_Kurayami...I've seen a journel which read that same name... _

**A/N: Kinda short, but I wanted to update, ya know? Felt really bad...anyway, me going trick-or-treating now so BYE!! **

**Next Chapter--INU ARRIVES AT SESSHY'S CASTLE! **


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